Okay bad musical pun aside, we finally got to ride up the Schlossberg on the Graz funicular. The first time we went to the Schlossberg the funicular was closed for repairs. It was fun ascending and descending the mini mountain in the funicular.

Sunday 31 March was a lovely day and in keeping with our “Sunday Afternoon Strolls” we headed to the Schlossberg to have a picnic. Our little basket was packed with meats, cheeses, olives, apples, and grapes, not to mention some delicious “Osterbrot” which is a seasonal favorite sweet bread from the Styria.

It was a bright sunny day with temps around 18C or 65F. Everyone was enjoying the lovely Spring day and colorful blooming spring flowers!

Our kids attend the Graz International School (GIBS). It is primarily a language school, however they do value the arts too. There is a music program, but it is more for basic music education. If a child in Graz wants to participate in a musical group, they must attend the Music Conservatory. Unfortunately because we came half way through the season the kids weren’t able to join an ensemble. But as I mentioned GIBS does enjoy supporting their musical kids.

Mrs. Canizares is the school music teacher. She is originally from NYC. She has a volunteer afternoon junior and senior choir and hosts at least three or four concerts a year. She often will have the kids who play instruments accompany the choirs at concerts. Our kids were welcomed into the after school “pick up” orchestra.

Mrs. Canizares has a background primarily in Jazz. She was very excited to have me join her and help teach some of the string players because the concert was classical in nature, instead of pop or jazz. Liam was also called upon to lead violin sectionals. I thoroughly enjoyed attending the rehearsals, which were sometimes in the middle of the school day or after school. I got to meet several of the GIBS students and teachers, not to mention getting to use my musical training.

The choirs meet after school on a regular bases because there are far ore kids in the school who like to sing than can play an instrument. Between the two choirs there are over 120 kids strong! Faywen chose to sing instead of play her viola because the string music was a bit too advanced for her. She is however the only violist in the school!

On the evening of Thursday 28 March the gym was packed as the choirs and orchestra gathered to give a concert. The Oberton Octet inspired the concert. This group of young professional string players offered to come and give a concert and clinic at GIBS. One of the cello players, Florin, is a former GIBS graduate. The Oberton Octet has played in various prestigious concert halls throughout Europe. Liam said he really enjoyed the string clinic the members gave the kids earlier in the day.

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The Octet played several selections and also sat in and played with the orchestra students during the GIBS performances. The students performed the following:

1. An arrangement for choir and strings of Beethoven’s 7^th Symphony, movement 2

2. An arrangement for choir and strings of Dvorak’s New World Symphony “Going Home” theme

3. Arrangement for choir and strings of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”

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It was amazing to hear what these kids put together after meeting only a couple of times a week for a month! Bravo to choir and orchestra!

Another beautiful spring day in Vienna met us as we left our hotel and walked once again through the Stadtpark back to the Musikverein. We paused to sit on a park bench and listen to the morning church bells call people to late morning Mass. Once we reached the plaza in front of the Musikverien, we saw a throng of music enthusiasts dressed in their Sunday best congregated outside the Musikverein.

It was a magical moment as we passed through the doors and into the foyer. For years our family has enjoyed listening to the PBS New Years Day “Live From Vienna” concert, which is held in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. The concert features the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Ballet. Most of the works are from the Strauss family and their contemporaries.

After ascending 3 flights of stairs we were met by the usher who checked our tickets and showed us which door to pass through. The Großersaal or “ Great Golden Hall” opened up as we entered the lower balcony. It was a feast for the eyes! Gold trim work, statues, painted frescos, and the mighty silver organ and pipes were breathtaking. We had very good seats along the back portion of the lower balcony and no overhang above us. The sound from the orchestra was well blended and balanced. We found our seats and then took some photos. There were many other folks taking photos too.

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The concert was played by the Orchester Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde von Wien. This is the name of the original founding orchestra of the Musikverein in 1812. The Golden Hall was built in 1870. The name of the organization is written on the front of the building Gesellschaft der Musicfreunde or “Society of Music Friends”. Musikverein is translated “Music organization”. Musicians, bands, and orchestras from all over the world use the Golden Hall and various smaller chamber and solo auditoriums. The most famous group being the Vienna Philharmonic.

The Orchester GDM played for the first half, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concerti for Oboe, Horn, Bassoon, Clarinet, and Orchestra. After the Pause (intermission) they played Brückner’s 9^th Symphony, which actually premiered in the Golden Hall in 1903.  The Orchester GDM received a standing ovation and the Viennese really love clapping!

A few more photos of the foyer on our way out and we were once again in the brilliant spring sunshine! We took a slightly different way back to the hotel passing by the Beethoven Platz and statue and once again through another section of the Stadtpark. We ate a quick lunch at Vapiano, which is an Italian chain in Europe because we ate at one In Edinburgh 2 months ago!

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After lunch we grabbed our luggage, took a quick tram ride to the Wien Hauptbahnhof where we boarded our train back to Graz. This time we had a classic 6 person cabin to ourselves. It was kinda hot, but we refreshed ourselves with water and yummy chocolates we had bought at the Manner Candy Store in the Bahnhof! We arrived in Graz as the sun was setting and were home within 15 minutes. Needless to say, we all enjoyed a nice bath and slept soundly dreaming of Vienna!

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Since Vienna is so close to us we decided to do “theme” weekends. There is way too much to see in just 1 1/2 days. This weekend we chose to do a “musical walking tour” of the city.

We started in the city centre at St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Josef Haydn was a choirboy at the church about the time that Antonia Vivaldi was an aged church musician and composer at St. Stephens. W.A. Mozart was married in the cathedral and two of his children baptized there. Many liturgical musical works premiered at the cathedral over the last 700 years.

The inside of the cathedral was visually amazing with stunning masonry and stone statues, including the most ornate pulpit I’ve ever seen in all my travels. I also particularly liked the bit of modern touches to the ancient sanctuary. Down the middle aisle hung papier-mâché stones of various sizes. It was a nice reminder of the Bible story about Stephen who was the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death for his beliefs. The cathedral is named after him.

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Of course we climbed the great South Tower. It was only a mere 343 steps. One of the smaller church towers we’ve climbed. The views of Vienna were stunning from the top of the gothic tower!

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Once back down and a quick rest, we continued our walking tour passing by the Teutonic Hall where Mozart and Brahms briefly lived. We then found ourselves in a little square with the St. Mariakirche on one side and the Academy of Sciences on the other. The Academy is associated with the church and it is where Franz Schubert attended school as a boy. It was also in the Academy’s hall that Ludwig von Beethoven premiered his 7^th Symphony. Unfortunately the building was closed and we couldn’t go inside.

A few blocks and around the corner, we decided to stop and have lunch in a traditional Viennese café. We sat outside and had drinks, coffee, and sandwiches. Our waitress was very nice and offered to take a family photo of us!

It was a lovely sunny spring day in Vienna. Everyone was out and about enjoying the city parks. We once again passed through the Stadtpark and it was nice to see it in daylight! We found the Golden Statue of Johann Strauss Sr. again, as well as one of Schubert. The Kursalon was lovely in daylight too.

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Once through the park we made our way around the Oper Ring Road to the Vienna Musikverein. This is the home of the famous “Golden Hall” where the best orchestras and music groups in the world play. It is also where the famous Vienna Philharmonic holds concerts. The name of the building is officially the “Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde” which translates “Society of Music Friends”. Tomorrow we will attend a concert in the Golden Hall!

Across from the Musikverein is a lovely little park, ,which contains a statue of Johannes Brahms. Robert jumped up onto the pedestal and pointed at Brahms name. A funny story from our past will explain this little gesture. When we were dating I wrote a paper about Johannes Brahms. Robert offered to type it out for me. I dictated and he typed. Of course me being visually impaired I didn’t proofread the 10-point font paper. Well lo and behold Robert had misspelled Brahms throughout the entire paper and I was marked down for this. He had placed an extra “a” in the name…Brah”a”ms instead of Brahms. It’s always been a joke between us ever since!

We made our way from the park around the Oper Ring Road to the Vienna State Opera House or the Wiener Staastoper. Interestingly the Vienna Philharmonic is actually made up of members of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and auditions are held in one of the Intermission Rooms at the Opera House. We enjoyed a tour in English of the majestic theatre. As a trained opera singer it was a delight to see one of the world’s prestigious opera houses. Sadly part of the original building was destroyed during a WWII bomb raid, but the restoration was impressive!

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It was snack time and we were all a bit hot. We were told that near the Hofburg Palace was a very well known Swiss chocolate ice cream shop. Mmmmmm Swiss chocolate!!! In search of said ice cream, we walked from the Opera House down a lovely road and through the Hofburg Palace Public Gardens passing by a white marble statue of Mozart. The lawn in front of him had a Treble Clef made of little white flowers! We passed by the Museum Quarter, through the old city gates, and onto the grounds of the Hofburg Palace. This was the seat of the great Hapsburg Dynasty, which ruled Austro-Hungary for centuries. The museums and Palace we will visit on another weekend trip.

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The palace is made up of various courtyards surrounded by buildings. We found the courtyard where the famous Spanish Riding School Lipizzaner Horses are housed. We also found the entrance to the church where the Vienna Boys Choir sings every Sunday. The maze of courtyards opened onto another small square where old Roman ruins were on display by the grand back door of the Hofburg Palace. This is the door that all courtiers and dignitaries would have entered through. But where was the ice cream? A few blocks down a lovely meandering Viennese street we found the Swiss Ice Cream…and it was worth the wait!

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Near the ice cream shop a cute little market was set up in the square by the Abbey of the Scots, which is actually an old monastery founded by Irish monks in Vienna. There was food, basket weavers, jewelers, and our favorite stall was a little toy booth. Hanging on a wire grid were adorable little leather bats (die Fledermäuse) with googly eyes. Robert and I love things with googly eyes, so with Faywen’s help we chose two of these adorable homemade Fledermäuse for our home!

We had one more major musical stop on our tour…Ludwig von Beethoven’s apartment in Vienna. Beethoven occupied the apartment for about 8 years in the early 1800’s. It was on the top floor. The dwelling was simple and basic, but it did have lovely views of the surrounding buildings and square below. In the museum were portraits of Beethoven, his patrons, and family members. There were also original manuscripts of his famous compositions and playbills from concerts.

As the sun set behind the cream and yellow city buildings, we walked back past the Hofburg Public Gardens in search of the restaurant where we had reservations. On the corner of the Gardens is the famous Augustiner Keller Restaurant. Once the cellars of the local Augustinian Monks, it now is a restaurant serving traditional Viennese cuisine. The stunning medieval masonry and warm lighting gave the place an “old world” charm.

It also helped that there was a guy playing an accordion. We quickly made friends with Peter, the accordionist. He was playing a polka near our table when Robert grabbed me by the hand and we danced in the aisle to the music. After the dance was completed, Peter followed us back to our table and commenced playing. He sat on the bench next to Faywen. He is originally from Slovakia and between his English and my German we had a grand time talking music. He played a lovely set of “Sound of Music” tunes to which Faywen sang along! Peter was quite impressed at how well Faywen sang! I sang a bit too, but more traditional pieces like “Wien Du Allein” etc.

Dinner was delicious and as we left Peter meandered back over to say goodbye and wish us well! It was a lovely way to end our 6 mile long walking tour of Vienna!

The nice thing about living in central Europe is that many great cities are just a few hours away by train. Our first adventure outside of Graz was to Vienna, the capital of Austria. On Friday 22 March we boarded a train and 2.5 hours later we were in central Vienna. The lovely train ride took us through rolling hills, picturesque valleys, and several tunnels. The mountains were stunning as the evening sun illuminated the tree-lined peaks.

Once in Vienna we found the tram, which took us to the Hotel Pension Stadtpark. After checking in and freshening up we headed to dinner. Because we were in Vienna over the weekend, Robert had already made reservations for dinner. Müllerbeisl was a traditional Viennese restaurant. We shared the pig’s knuckles, Wiener schnitzel, carrots and cabbage, and potato soup. Everything tasted delicious!

Once dinner was over we enjoyed strolling around Vienna at night. The city was alive with folks taking moonlit strolls in the Stadtpark and window-shopping along the various Strasse (streets). Faywen found a very pretty wedding dress and we saw everything from haute culture to discount shops! Once in the Stadtpark we came across the Golden Statue of Johann Strauss Sr., the waltz King! The Strauss’ were prevalent well-respected musicians in Vienna in the mid-late 1800’s. The Golden Statue of Strauss Sr. and various statues of his sons Richard, Johann Jr., and Josef were erected in memory of their contributions to the musical life in Vienna. Johann Jr. composed the famous Blue Danube Waltz.

On Sunday 17 March Liam celebrated his “Golden Birthday in Austria! He was 17 on the 17^th!

We decorated the house with homemade banners and balloons! I actually found Happy Birthday plates, napkins, and cups. Interestingly all the birthday party supplies are in English, not German! Also there are many character themes here in Austria. Frozen and Minions seem to be very popular for the little kids!

Sunday morning we held “home church” and then after lunch Robert took Liam and Seamus downtown to the Schlossberg. As a birthday treat Liam wanted to go down the world’s largest indoor slide, which is located at the Schlossberg. It starts at the top of the mini-mountain and ends at the bottom. It takes about one-minute to slide to the bottom!

After the fellows had fun on the Schlossberg slide they went to O’Carolin’s Irish Pub, but unfortunately it was really busy. They meandered down the street until coming across a local Austrian Pub ironically called the Cafe Baltimore! Robert and Liam had a beer and Seamus a Coke. In Austria youth can legally drink beer at age 16. Ironically the pub had American license plates on the walls and the waitress seated them next to two Michigan plates! They enjoyed a snack of yummy chicken wings too!

The menfolk got home around 4:00 and we had Liam’s birthday party. Liam loves himbeer (raspberry) so we purchased him a raspberry and cream cake. The Austrians really know how to make berry filled pastries, especially Erdbeer (strawberry), Himbeer (raspberry), and Marille (apricot). In case somebody didn’t like the hinbeer cake we also found peanut butter KitKats and a local treat called choco-banana.

Liam really liked all of his gifts. The gifts included a couple of new shirts, earphones, Utopia (quintessential government book, he’s interested in political science), cash and candy, an adorable west highland plush dog (made by Hermann Teddy a well-known German company. I have always given Liam a doggy for his birthday), and the family favorite… a plush stuffed roasted chicken! Yes, this weird little toy I found in a local store. I knew Liam would love it because he’s a big “meat eater”. Everyone had a good laugh about the unique stuffed toy!

He ended the day relaxing after having yummy Irish stew and sharing a Guinness Stout beer with his Mum and Dad! Sláinte to another birthday and year, Liam!

On Sunday 10 March we headed out for yet another Sunday Stroll. Perhaps it will become a new family tradition!

This time we went back to the Mur River in central Graz, but walked north instead of south along the river. Soon we came upon a silvery metal island glistening in the river. It was the Murinsel, a modern bridge/island built in 2003. The bridge is designed to look like a silver shell resting in the middle of the river. New York City artist Vito Acconci designed the bridge and island. The Murinsel or “Island in the Mur” hosts a small amphitheater for local outdoor theatre and concerts, a café, and a small gift shop that sells items made by local artists.

A bit further down the river we came across a small 15 ft. climbing wall. It was fun watching the kids climb while listening to the gurgling mini-rapids of the river behind us. The Mur isn’t a very wide river, but it is swift moving and contains rocky shallow patches.

Of course we ended our Sunday Stroll at our favorite gelato shop!

A short little blog about the “magical” whimsy of childhood!

Austrian houses do not have screens in the windows. This is typical in most European homes. The kids recently discovered that the side window at the bottom of our stairs is level with the ground outside because the home is built into a hill. They now find it exceeding fun to “climb” out the window to access the back yard! They use a step stool we purchased at IKEA to achieve passing “through the looking glass!!”

We also believe that it is the same window that the Zahnfee came through the night of March 9^th! Somehow the Zahnfee made it into the house and flew up the stairs straight into Faywen’s bedroom.  The Zahnfee took Faywen’s tooth and left a shiny 1 Euro coin in its place!

Yes, that’s correct I wrote Halloween in March! Well, it’s not quite like the Halloween we know in the USA, but it does involve costumes. What am I referring to?

CARNIVAL, MARDI GRAS, FAT TUESDAY! These are the names we associate with the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday when the Christian season of Lent begins. Here in Catholic Austria they call it Faschingsdienstag, ShroveTuesday. This is the final day to live it up and eat lots of meat and sweets before the Lent fasting begins. Lent is a time of reflection for Christians, a time to remember Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness and our own mortality and sins. The day before Lent begins has traditionally been a day to “live life to the fullest”!

In Austria everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, dresses up in costumes. Even Faywen’s classmates brought her a bowtie and pom pom headband to wear at school. The teachers were all dressed up too. There are dance parties, parades, and carnival like booths all over town, but especially in the two main squares or Platz’s downtown. Several businesses are closed, the schools have a half-day, and everyone goes out to drink and dance! Usually the family activities take place from noon until about 6:00 in the evening and then the older teens through young adults come out.

Liam got to experience Carnival in all it’s evening glory when he and 4 new friends from school went downtown to have a beer and dance in the Hauptplatz! Austrians sure know how to party, but everything is pretty safe when they do. In fact, the police were tipped off that there were a bunch of under-aged teens trying to drink. The police formed a barricade and carded everyone before allowing folks into the Platz. Liam said the line was long to pass through the Platz, but it was very safe and efficient.

Teens can legally drink beer in Austria at age 16. We have always let our children drink wine and beer at home in small amounts. Liam drank only 2 half-pint beers. He’s never been drunk and never plans to be either. All his friends were the same. It was fun listening to his stories about the evening Carnival!

Earlier in the day we went to the CityPark mall to get Liam a simple little computer for his classes and the mall was packed with young and old alike in Carnival mood! Little kids in Halloween costumes were dancing,while the older folks sat a floor above, drinking beer, and  looking over the railing at the cute kids below!

We haven’t found an English speaking church, let alone a Protestant one. Austria is predominantly Roman Catholic. We did discover that there is one Catholic Mass said in English for African refugees. We’re thinking of attending one Sunday soon, but until then we have “home church”. It really makes you appreciate what the pioneers and immigrants to the USA went through!

Typically most shops and business are closed on Sundays in Austria. Some tourist attractions and restaurants near them are open. Most people in Graz go out to visit family and friends, take a hike in the mountains, or go to the local parks. We decided to do as the locals, so Sunday afternoon we went downtown to take a stroll along the Mür River.

During our ramblings we came across a tall slide by the river that Seamus and Faywen had fun playing on. A bit further on we ended up in a rather large city park that had quite a lot of playground equipment. By modern American standards the playground and the equipment would be condemned and torn down due to safety reasons, but for our kids and us it was a “classic”playground. You know the kind that’s full of DANGER! It had rope courses of all types, large swings attached to wooden A-frames, towers and boats built of wood, and some other unique equipment the kids had fun exploring! There wasn’t a single padded foam or woodchip floor in site to break your fall. Even Liam enjoyed climbing around on the rope courses with his siblings! It was a beautiful afternoon and everyone was out and about in the park. I heard at least 4 different languages being spoken while there.

Once the kids had exhausted all the play equipment we kept strolling along the river and came across a public outdoor gym intended for use by adults who run along the path or live in the centre of town. Of course, the kids had to try a few out!

We crossed the next bridge and headed back up the other side of the river. The buildings on this side were classic and very ornate. Little bathouses were placed every 30 ft. on trees along the riverbank.

Back at our tram stop, Seamus recalled seeing an ice cream parlor down the street on our ride into the city. We walked a little over a block and indeed there was an ice shop and it was open! Young and old were sitting inside and out enjoying delicious gelato. This sweet treat comes from Italy and is very rich and creamy. Robert and I had chocolate, Seamus mango, Liam raspberry banana, and Faywen had cookies-n-cream. A sweet way to end our Sunday stroll in the park!